Sarah Michelle Gellar Reveals Surprising Person Changed Her Mind About Buffy

Sarah Michelle Gellar had been adamant in the past that she had no interest in returning to Buffy the Vampire Slayer after it ended in 2003. So what changed to spark her return and the Buffy revival? Enter Nomadland and Eternals director Chloe Zhao. The Oscar-winning director was confirmed attached to the revival as the pilot’s director back in February. But as Gellar reveals in a chat with Elite Daily, Zhao also came up with an idea for a reboot that finally lured the star back to the role. As the actress details, Zhao’s pitch was the first she had heard across four years that gave her the motivation for a comeback.

“Every pitch I heard was just like, ‘Let’s just do Buffy again.’ Why?” Gellar tells the outlet. “But the passion that [Zhao] came to me with, what she wanted to do with the show and the character, and why Buffy is needed now — it was the first time where I thought, ‘OK, there’s a reason.’”

Mum is the word when it comes to any details about the upcoming revival, but Gellar did dispel a few rumors about the series, including the rumored new additions to the cast. As the Buffy alum reveals, those reports are fake.

“Those are all fake characters,” Gellar says. “That thing that got released is all fake.”

According to previous reports, the new Buffy revival would have introduced three new characters to be the new Scooby Gang for the series. Nova was claimed to be the new slayer, with wealthy LGBTQ+ nerd Hugo, and vampire expert Gracie. Gellar was reported to be just a recurring guest star.

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The Buffy star did add that fans of the original series can rest easy knowing the revival will continue to be a “beacon” for those “outcasts” looking to fit in with others.

“The whole point of an antihero is to be a hero for the people who don’t fit in the box, the people who aren’t like everybody else,” Gellar adds. “That’s who I want to tell stories for: the person that really looks to these stories to feel a connection.”

Former Buffy actor James Marsters also addressed the revival news, but did his best to avoid any spoilery details while chatting on Instagram Live.

“It’s not a good thing for me to talk about the Buffy reboot,” Marsters told fans during his livestream. “I’m sorry if you were coming here hoping for some news, but in the interest of having the project be the best it can be, it’s best that I keep my mouth shut right now, so I’m gonna do that…I think I’m like everybody. I’m very excited that we’re gonna learn more about the journey of Buffy Summers and how she saves the world because I think the world needs her. So I’m gonna do my part by doing nothing right now.”

The pilot order at Hulu is TBA, but fans can currently stream all of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer series on Hulu, and the spinoff Angel is streaming on Hulu, too.

Are you excited for the return of Buffy? Does Sarah Michelle Gellar’s confidence mean fans should expect good things? Let us know in the comments.